Grade 6 Math Unit Test: Algebraic Expressions (28 Marks)

Question Types & Suggested Use

Exit tickets in each lesson. Worksheet Parts A–E with the answer key. Quick Quiz (9 marks) after lesson 2. Unit Test (28 marks) at the end. Homework after each lesson. Performance task (rubric): "Price Plans" — write, evaluate and compare expressions for two real price plans.

Skills Assessed

• Explain what a variable is and read expressions such as 3n + 2 (3n means 3 × n).
• Write expressions from words, including "more than", "less than", "times" and "divided by".
• Evaluate expressions by substituting values, using the order of operations.
• Simplify expressions by combining like terms.
• Use the distributive property to write equivalent expressions, and check them with numbers.

How to Administer

• Give at the end of the unit (or as a pre-test before teaching).
• Allow about 40 minutes. Students work alone.
• Mark with the answer key; use the score guide to decide who needs re-teaching or a challenge.

Differentiation

Support: Use real bags and cubes for every expression. Challenge: Write an expression for the perimeter of a rectangle with sides (x + 3) and 2x, and simplify. English language learners: Teach operation words with a table and gestures.

Follow-Up Activities

• Bags and Cubes (12 minutes, Pairs): Student A secretly puts the same number of cubes in each bag. They show some bags and loose cubes, e.g. 2 bags + 3 cubes.
• Expression Bingo (12 minutes, Whole class): Students write 9 numbers from 1 to 30 in a 3 × 3 grid. The teacher says an expression and a value, e.g. "3n + 2 when n = 4".
• Equivalent or Not? (10 minutes, Small groups): Each group gets a pair, e.g. 3(x + 1) and 3x + 1. They test with 3 different numbers.

Teacher Tips

Use the "number in a bag" image all unit — it makes like terms obvious. Always check equivalent expressions by testing a number.

What's Included

• 28-mark unit test (PDF + editable DOCX)
• Part A: Write Expressions (6 marks)
• Part B: Evaluate (6 marks)
• Part C: Simplify and Expand (6 marks)
• Part D: Reason and Solve (6 marks)
• Part E: Challenge (4 marks)
• Answer key with marking notes and a score guide (PDF)

Additional Files

• Grade 6 Math Unit Test: Algebraic Expressions (28 Marks) (DOCX)
• Answer Key (PDF)

Teacher Reviews